1970 Wingmaster 870 Question

I think you are good for waterfowl with the fixed full choke. You didnt say if it had a 28" or 30" barrel. You could purchase a 26" or 28" barrel with Rem Chokes and you could adjust to antthing.

Does the barrel say anything about STEEL shot? Maybe too old.

If you get good with a pump, you can gunt anything and drop birds like crazy.

Nice shotgun

I believe you need the info on the barrel to date your new shotgun. Leroys Ramblins was a nice description, http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun Articles/remington_barrel_date_code.html

I would have the choke honed out until you get the patterns you like. I hunt pheasant with several Wingmasters, I have every gauge. The twenty is a 70's gun with a full choke that really patterns well with federal game loads #6. I have a 12 and a 16 that are choked skeet and they shoot every shot really well, I am a big fan of the skeet chokes in the field.

"...only has a full choke barrel..." Exactly how my early 80's vintage 870 started. A BNIB 870 barrel will go right on a 1970 vintage 870 with no fuss. A 30" or 28", vent rib, Remchoked, "express finished"(Dunno) barrel runs $199.99 at Cabela's. Having "Wingmaster" on it costs another $50. Barrel's the same except for the finish.
Go here for the date. http://www.rem870.com/remington-serial-number-lookup/

My guess T for trap?? If from the 1970s, the receiver may only eject 2 3/4" shells.

Sorry, old not better in the barrel department. After a class aciton lawsuit, Remington barrel steel was changed.

My guess, a new barrel will fit and work fine on the old receiver? Just not with 3" shells.

>>I'd like to obtain a barrel with interchangeable chokes<<

If you do decide to go that route you can buy a brandy new 28" Wingmaster barrel from Bud's Gun Shop for $206.00 delivered. I recently bought one for an older 870 I had kicking around and it turned it into a new gun. They come with a Mod choke, but you can buy aftermarket ones in any size you want.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...ton+12+Gauge+28"+Wingmaster+Barrel+wRem+Choke

Serial number T prefix ran from 1974 to 1978. I have T466***M and it is a 1976 built gun.
A fixed Full choke barrel could sustain damage from steel or tungsten iron non toxic shot, and non toxic is REQUIRED for all waterfowl hunting in the U.S. Your gun and barrel will be just fine with any factory loaded 2-3/4" shotshell, with the admonishment about non toxic shot. The whole barrel lawsuit thing was in my mind a trumped up get rich quick scheme, and the crux was that Remington agreed to move the newer (as of 1979) deeper rollmarking on the barrel and to use a different barrel steel. All other details of the settlement were sealed.
The V suffix indicates a 2-3/4" receiver, but check because yours may - repeat may - have a 3" ejector and ejector spring installed. The usual procedure to convert a 2-3/4" set up to 3" is expensive, but if you find the right gunsmith it is relatively easy to do it and not have to refinish the receiver. The ONLY difference between a Magnum and a standard gun is the ejector and ejector spring.
I use mine a few times a year waterfowl hunting just because I like to, and with the Light Contour barrel I love the way it handles.

A 70s vintage would have "magnum" on the receiver if for 3" shells.

After upgrading the barrel on mine I wish I kept the old one. The old one was lighter and pointed better. I like a full choke for long shots on birds. I would buy a new barrel and try it. I think all the new ones have a 3 inch chamber.

"A 70s vintage would have "magnum" on the receiver if for 3" shells."
True, but many 2-3/4" guns without Magnum on the receiver made it out the door with 3" ejectors and ejector springs, particularly in the later years before the move to all 3". I have seen plenty of them. Can't hurt to check in any event.
An early RemChoke barrel will be a lot heavier than an equivalent fixed choke barrel. Later standard RemChoke barrels are much better, but still heavier. A Light Contour (or Target Contour 1100 barrel) RemChoke barrel is very close to a fixed choke barrel, and may even be lighter. Gloss blued barrels are also lighter than the rough matte finished ones. Haven't checked a "satin" finished one.

I have a late '70 Wingmaster followed me home one day. It was in full choke. I purchased a new barrel for it from Gander Mountain probably about 150 a few years back. The new barrel fit with out a problem and it was cheaper then adding chokes to the old barrel.

Top of the line are 'Light Contour' barrels which came in 26" and 28" lengths. These are reason modern 12ga Wingmaster is the best pump gun ever offered to the American Hunter.

Virginian said:

"A 70s vintage would have "magnum" on the receiver if for 3" shells."
True, but many 2-3/4" guns without Magnum on the receiver made it out the door with 3" ejectors and ejector springs, particularly in the later years before the move to all 3". I have seen plenty of them. Can't hurt to check in any event.

Click to expand...

Virginian; how would one check to determine whether a 870 has 3" ejector etc.? Do you measure the ejector?